TELL Magazine

Now to Be Heard three Days to Primary Election.

A Benin High Court, on Wednesday adjourned hearing till Friday, June 19, in the suit seeking to restrain the All Progressives Congress (APC) from recognizing Osagie Ize-Iyamu as an aspirant in the party’s governorship primary election scheduled for June 22, 2020.
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Justice Emmanuel Ahamioje, the presiding judge, gave the defendants 24 hours to file their response, and subsequently adjourned the matter.

Recall that the court had earlier refused to grant exparte application seeking to restrain the All Progressives Congress (APC) from recognizing Osagie Ize-Iyamu as an aspirant in the party’s governorship primary election scheduled for June 22, 2020.

The suit was instituted in the court by Kenneth Asekomhe, the state factional deputy chairman of the party, Benjamin Oghumu, Mathew Ogbebor, and Unweni Nosa. It is challenging the membership  waiver granted to Ize-Iyamu by the National Working Committee of the party.

But the defendants in the suit (All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, and Osagie Ize-Iyamu), are contesting the jurisdiction of the court to meddle in the internal affairs of the party.
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After the day’s proceedings, Counsel to the first and second defendants, Victor Ohiosumua, told journalists that they were supposed to take their first and second preliminary objections and then take the originating summons itself together.

“But unfortunately as we were moving for the first and second preliminary objections, we were just served today by the Clerk. And the rules of court is very clear on the subject that we need time to file our response. Because of that, the case could not go on today,” he said.‎